Consultation on smart meter minimum functionality launched in Brazil

São Paulo, Brazil --- (METERING.COM) --- October 4, 2010 - A public consultation on the minimum functionalities for smart metering in Brazil has been launched by the country’s energy regulator, Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (Aneel).

The announcement of the consultation was made by Paulo Henrique S. Lopes, superintendent of technical regulation at Aneel, at the Metering, Billing/CRM Latin America 2010 event in São Paulo, Brazil last week.

This consultation follows a year of work by Aneel, following the regulator’s announcement of plans for a countrywide rollout of smart metering to residential and business customers at the 2009 edition of the event.

In the consultation (in Portuguese) Aneel proposes as a minimum that the smart meters should measure instantaneous voltage and active and reactive energy. In addition, complementary functionalities should include registry of the frequency and duration of interruptions and voltage transgressions, and the ability to apply multiple tariffs.

Aneel also proposes that the meters should inform the tariff on an hourly basis and should allow for remote disconnection and reconnection, and also they should allow consumers to visualize their consumption and information on the continuity of supply.

This consultation on minimum functionality will be open for 90 days and thereafter a decision can be expected in the first quarter of 2011. Thereafter a second step will follow, in which the rollout plan will be determined.

Paulo Henrique said that smart metering would be the first step towards a smart grid in Brazil, and would be installed as long as it is both economically and technically viable.

Approximately 63 million meters can be expected to be replaced with smart meters over the next 10 years in Brazil.